Multiple-use airway mask

ABSTRACT

A flexible transparent multiple use face mask that encloses a user&#39;s face allowing the user&#39;s airway to be ventilated that includes a transparent flexible airway mask that encloses and ventilates a user&#39;s airway, an airway adaptor that directs a quantity of ventilation to the transparent flexible airway mask, a manual resuscitation bag valve that receives the airway adaptor and controls the quantity of ventilation directed to the transparent flexible airway mask and a manual resuscitation bag that produces the quantity of ventilation transmitted through the airway adaptor to the transparent flexible airway mask. The multiple-use airway mask may also be turned inside-out and be utilized in combination with an endotracheal tube or a tracheotomy tube and also includes an optional attachment strap to prevent losing the transparent flexible airway mask as an added safety measure to keep the mask and bag connected.

The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S.Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 13/680,041 filed on Nov. 17, 2012.The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application61/561,617 filed on Nov. 18, 2011, both disclosures are incorporated byreference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to an airway mask. Morespecifically, the invention is a multiple-use airway mask.

It is an object of the invention to provide a multiple-use airway maskthat may be utilized in combination with or without an artificial airwaysuch as an endotracheal tube or a tracheotomy tube.

It is an object of the invention to provide a multiple-use airway maskthat may be inverted and may be utilized in a normal position and aninverted position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a multiple-use airway maskthat is a single-piece to prevent losing a detachable airway mask.

What is really needed is a multiple-use airway mask that may be utilizedin combination with or without an artificial airway such as anendotracheal tube or a tracheotomy tube that may be inverted and may beutilized in a normal position and an inverted position that is asingle-piece to prevent losing a detachable airway mask.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments,but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichlike references denote similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a side environmental perspective view of amultiple-use airway mask, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates a side perspective view of a multiple-use airwaymask, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A illustrates a side environmental perspective view of an invertedmultiple-use airway mask utilized in combination with an endotrachealtube, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B illustrates a side environmental perspective view of an invertedmultiple-use airway mask utilized in combination with a tracheotomytube, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2C illustrates a side perspective view of an inverted multiple-useairway mask, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described usingterms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey thesubstance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention maybe practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes ofexplanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrativeembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Inother instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in ordernot to obscure the illustrative embodiments.

Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, inturn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the presentinvention; however, the order of description should not be construed asto imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Inparticular, these operations need not be performed in the order ofpresentation.

The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generallydoes not refer to the same embodiment, however, it may. The terms“comprising”, “having” and “including” are synonymous, unless thecontext dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1A illustrates a side environmental perspective view of amultiple-use airway mask 100, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

The multiple-use airway mask 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A may include themultiple-use airway mask 100 and a user 110. The multiple-use airwaymask 100 may ventilate the user 110 without the utilization of anartificial airway such as an endotracheal tube (FIG. 2A, 210) or atracheotomy tube (FIG. 2B, 260). The user 110 may simply place themultiple-use airway mask 100 against a user's face 112 to ventilate theuser 110. Additional details regarding the multiple-use airway mask 100are illustrated in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B illustrates a side perspective view of a multiple-use airwaymask 100, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.The multiple-use airway mask 100 illustrated in FIG. 1B may be similarto the multiple-use airway mask 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A.

The multiple-use airway mask 100 may include a transparent flexibleairway mask 120, an airway adaptor 130, a manual resuscitation bag valve140, a manual resuscitation bag 150 and an optional attachment strap160. The transparent flexible airway mask 120 may enclose a user's face112 while the user's airway 113 may be ventilated (See FIG. 1A). Thetransparent flexible airway mask 120 may be enclosed against and removedfrom the user's face 112 as needed. The transparent flexible airway mask120 may be transparent and allows a health care worker to unobstructedlylook over the transparent flexible airway mask 120 to prevent the user110 from aspirating on secretions and the user 110 may receive anappropriate air flow or ventilation airway mask. The term unobstructedlyis defined as allowing the user 110 to look over the transparentflexible airway mask 120 without the transparent flexible airway mask120 blocking any user 110 visual capability. The airway adaptor 130 mayhave a first end 132, a second end 134 and may have a hollow elongatedshape 136. The airway adaptor 130 may direct a quantity of ventilationto the transparent flexible airway mask 120. The first end 132 of theairway adaptor 130 may have an approximate 15 mm diameter and the secondend 134 of the airway adaptor 130 may have an approximate 22 mmdiameter, although the first end 132 and the second end 134 of theairway adaptor 130 may have any suitable diameter. The first end 132 ofthe airway adaptor 130 may extend inside the transparent flexible airwaymask 120 and the second end 134 of the airway adaptor 130 may extendoutside the transparent flexible airway mask 120. The airway adaptor 130may be permanently bonded to the transparent flexible airway mask 120.The manual resuscitation bag valve 140 may receive the second end 134 ofthe airway adaptor 130 and may be permanently bonded to the second end134 of the airway adaptor 130. The manual resuscitation bag valve 140may receive the second end 134 of the airway adaptor 130 and may bereleasably attached to the second end 134 of the airway adaptor 130. Theterm removably inserted is defined as allowing an object being insertedinto something such as a user's mouth 114 or a user's airway 116 andbeing capable of being released. The term releasably attached morespecifically is defined as the manual resuscitation bag valve 140receiving the second end 134 of the airway adaptor 130 and being capableof being released from the second end 134 of the airway adaptor 130. Themanual resuscitation bag valve 140 may control a quantity of ventilationdirected to the transparent flexible airway mask 120. The manualresuscitation bag 150 may be permanently attached to the manualresuscitation bag valve 140 and may produce a quantity of ventilationtransmitted through the airway adaptor 130 to the transparent flexibleairway mask 120. The manual resuscitation bag 150 may produce a quantityof ventilation by a person, typically a caregiver or a healthcareprovider such as a respiratory therapist, a nurse, a doctor, a paramedicor any other suitable person by squeezing the manual resuscitation bag150. The optional attachment strap 160 may have a first end 162 and asecond end 164. The optional attachment strap 160 may keep thetransparent flexible airway mask 120 attached to the manualresuscitation bag 150 as a safety measure due to any malfunction whichmay separate the transparent flexible airway mask 120 from themultiple-use airway mask 100, where the transparent flexible airway mask120 may still be attached or bonded and be available. The first end 162of the optional attachment strap 160 may be attached to the transparentflexible airway mask 120 and the second end 164 of the optionalattachment strap 160 may be attached to the manual resuscitation bag150.

FIG. 2A illustrates a side environmental perspective view of an invertedmultiple-use airway mask 200 utilized in combination with anendotracheal tube 210, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. The multiple-use airway mask 200 illustrated in FIG. 2A mayinclude a transparent flexible airway mask 220, an airway adaptor 230, amanual resuscitation bag valve 240, a manual resuscitation bag 250 andan optional attachment strap 255 that may be similar to the multiple-useairway mask 100, the transparent flexible airway mask 120, the airwayadaptor 130, the manual resuscitation bag valve 140, the manualresuscitation bag 150 and the optional attachment strap 160 illustratedin FIG. 1B.

Additionally the multiple-use airway mask 200 may include anendotracheal tube 210. In contrast to FIG. 1B, the transparent flexibleairway mask 220 may be turned inside-out thereby exposing a first end232 of the airway adaptor 230 that may be similar to the first end 132of the airway adaptor 130 illustrated in FIG. 1B. The endotracheal tube210 may have a first end 212 and a second end 214 and may provide anartificial airway into a user's mouth 114 or a user's airway 116. Thefirst end 212 of the endotracheal tube 210 may be removably insertedinto the first end 232 of the airway adaptor 230. The second end 214 ofthe endotracheal tube 210 may be removably inserted into the user'smouth 114 or the user's airway 116 to provide a quantity of ventilationto the user's mouth 114 or the user's airway 116.

FIG. 2B illustrates a side environmental perspective view of an invertedmultiple-use airway mask 200 utilized in combination with a tracheotomytube 260, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.The multiple-use airway mask 200 illustrated in FIG. 2B may include atransparent flexible airway mask 220, an airway adaptor 230, a manualresuscitation bag valve 240 and a manual resuscitation bag 250 that maybe similar to the multiple-use airway mask 200, the transparent flexibleairway mask 220, the airway adaptor 230, the manual resuscitation bagvalve 240, the manual resuscitation bag 250 and the optional attachmentstrap 255 illustrated in FIG. 2B.

In contrast to FIG. 1B, the transparent flexible airway mask 220 may beturned inside-out thereby exposing a first end 232 of the airway adaptor230 that may be similar to the first end 132 of the airway adaptor 130illustrated in FIG. 1B. The tracheotomy tube 260 may have a first end262 and a second end 264 and may provide an artificial airway to auser's airway 116. The first end 262 of the tracheotomy tube 260 may beremovably inserted into the first end 232 of the airway adaptor 230. Thesecond end 264 of the tracheotomy tube 260 may be removably insertedinto an aperture 117 on the user's airway 116 to provide a quantity ofventilation to the user's airway 116.

FIG. 2C illustrates a side perspective view of an inverted multiple-useairway mask 200, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention.

The multiple-use airway mask 200 illustrated in FIG. 2C may include atransparent flexible airway mask 220, an airway adaptor 230, a manualresuscitation bag valve 240, a manual resuscitation bag 250 and anoptional attachment strap 255 that may be similar to the multiple-useairway mask 200, the transparent flexible airway mask 220, the airwayadaptor 230, the manual resuscitation bag valve 240, the manualresuscitation bag 250 and the optional attachment strap 255 illustratedin FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. The multiple-use airway mask 200 illustrated inFIG. 2C may also be turned inside-out to accommodate the endotrachealtube 210 or the tracheotomy tube 260 with the first end 232 of theairway adaptor 230 as illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B.

The multiple-use airway mask may solve the problem of losing adetachable airway mask. The multiple-use airway mask may have nodetachable parts and may solve the problem of losing an airway mask. Themultiple-use airway mask, which may be turned inside-out, may be animprovement over a traditional airway mask. The multiple-use airway maskmay work by ventilating a user with or without an artificial airway. Themultiple-use airway mask may include a fixed air adapter that may bebonded to the airway mask near the base of the mask between the airwaymask and the bag reservoir. The multiple-use airway mask may manuallyventilate a user with a healthcare provider squeezing the reservoir bagto desired lung inflation. The multiple-use airway mask may be turnedinside-out exposing the adapter to accommodate an artificial airway forthe purpose of manual ventilation.

The multiple-use airway mask may be utilized to ventilate a user withouthaving to disassemble or reassemble a bag valve mask. The multiple-useairway mask may ventilate a user with or without an artificial airway inany user population. Our design may have no detachable parts which willinsure that in an event of an unplanned extubation, there may be no lossof an airway mask and may also ensure a quantity of ventilation withouta lapse in time, which would put the user at risk for anoxic braininjury or even death from respiratory failure.

The multiple-use airway mask may be utilized as a single entity unit,void of one or more removable parts without disassembly or reassembly.The multiple-use airway mask may be designed permanently bonded to themanual resuscitation bag valve, which enables ventilation of a naturalairway while adjusting without removing any part or incurring a time lagfor reassembly to ventilate any and all artificial airways of allpatient populations.

The multiple-use airway mask includes a bag, a mask and ventilation. Itis utilized to ventilate patients requiring artificial respiration. Suchindications are cardiac arrest, multiple trauma, acute asthmaexacerbation, chronic obstructed pulmonary disease exasperation and allsurgery that require mechanical ventilation. The delineation ofutilizing the multiple-use airway mask starts out with a healthcareprovider assisting a patient with artificial respiration. A facemask isplaced on the bag valve unit and the patient's natural airway isventilated by the medical professional utilizing the multiple use airwaymask to provide ventilation. Once the patient is unconscious due tosedation or current illness an endotracheal tube is inserted into apatient's airway. The face mask is then removed from the unit. The 15 mmadapter is exposed to connect to the endotracheal tube and ventilationis continued through this artificial airway.

The facemask at this stage is placed nearby. At this point in time iswhere problems with a removable facemask may begin. The facemask is muchtoo often misplaced. It ends up missing, under a bed, is inadvertentlythrown out, is tossed-in an unreachable area or is not available if theendotracheal tube is breached, accidentally dislodged or not in apatent's airway for a litany of reasons. When this happens the facemaskis needed to ventilate the patient's natural airway. Too often thefacemask is missing at this critical point of manual resuscitation thusputting the patient's life at risk for brain injury or death fromhypoxia due to the facemask being missing and no ventilation may beprovided to the natural airway of any patient without it.

The multiple airway mask provides a collateral and permanent bond of theface-mask, bag valve and bag reservoir. The face-mask never leaves theunit so it may never be missing at any critical point of artificialventilation. The multiple use airway mask may save many lives.

While the present invention has been related in terms of the foregoingembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventionis not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention canbe practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded asillustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multiple-use airway mask, comprising: atransparent flexible airway mask that encloses a user's face while auser's airway is ventilated, the transparent flexible airway mask allowsthe health care worker to unobstructedly look over the transparentflexible airway mask to adjust a selected one of an aspiration and animpediment that affect the transparent flexible airway mask; an airwayadaptor with a first end, a second end and a hollow elongated shape, theairway adaptor directs a quantity of ventilation to the transparentflexible airway mask, the airway adaptor is permanently bonded to thetransparent flexible airway mask, the first end of the airway adaptorextends inside the transparent flexible airway mask and the second endof the airway adaptor extends outside the transparent flexible airwaymask; a manual resuscitation bag valve that receives the second end ofthe airway adaptor, the manual resuscitation bag is permanently bondedto the second end of the airway adaptor forming a non-detachable onepiece unit, the manual resuscitation bag valve controls the quantity ofventilation directed to the transparent flexible airway mask; a manualresuscitation bag that is attached to the manual resuscitation bagvalve, the manual resuscitation bag produces the quantity of ventilationtransmitted through the airway adaptor to the transparent flexibleairway mask; and an optional attachment strap with a first end and asecond end, the optional attachment strap keeps the transparent flexibleairway mask attached to the manual resuscitation bag, the first end ofthe optional attachment strap is attached to the transparent flexibleairway mask and the second end of the optional attachment strap isattached to the manual resuscitation bag.
 2. The multiple-use airwaymask according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the airway adaptorhas a 15 mm diameter.
 3. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim1, wherein the second end of the airway adaptor has a 22 mm diameter. 4.The multiple-use airway mask according to claim 1, wherein the manualresuscitation bag produces the quantity of ventilation by a selected oneof a caregiver and a healthcare provider.
 5. The multiple-use airwaymask according to claim 4, wherein the healthcare provider is a selectedone of a respiratory therapist, a nurse, a doctor and a paramedic.
 6. Amultiple-use airway mask utilized in combination with an endotrachealtube, comprising: a transparent flexible airway mask; an airway adaptorwith a first end, a second end and a hollow elongated shape, the airwayadaptor directs a quantity of ventilation to the transparent flexibleairway mask, the airway adaptor is permanently bonded to the transparentflexible airway mask, the first end of the airway adaptor extends insidethe transparent flexible airway mask and the second end of the airwayadaptor extends outside the transparent flexible airway mask, thetransparent flexible airway mask is turned inside-out exposing the firstend of the airway adaptor; a manual resuscitation bag valve thatreceives the second end of the airway adaptor, the manual resuscitationbag is permanently bonded to the second end of the airway adaptorforming a non-detachable one piece unit, the manual resuscitation bagvalve controls the quantity of ventilation directed to the transparentflexible airway mask; a manual resuscitation bag that is attached to themanual resuscitation bag valve, the manual resuscitation bag producesthe quantity of ventilation transmitted through the airway adaptor tothe transparent flexible airway mask; and an optional attachment strapwith a first end and a second end, the optional attachment strap keepsthe transparent flexible airway mask attached to the manualresuscitation bag.
 7. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim 6,wherein the first end of the airway adaptor has a 15 mm diameter.
 8. Themultiple-use airway mask according to claim 6, wherein the second end ofthe airway adaptor has a 22 mm diameter.
 9. The multiple-use airway maskaccording to claim 6, wherein the manual resuscitation bag produces thequantity of ventilation by a selected one of a caregiver and ahealthcare provider.
 10. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim9, wherein the manual resuscitation bag is a selected one of permanentlyattached to the manual resuscitation bag valve and releasably attachedto the manual resuscitation bag valve.
 11. The multiple-use airway maskaccording to claim 6, wherein the endotracheal tube has a first end anda second end, the endotracheal tube provides an artificial airway into aselected one of a user's mouth and a user's airway.
 12. The multiple-useairway mask according to claim 11, wherein the first end of theendotracheal tube is removably inserted into the first end of the airwayadaptor.
 13. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim 11, whereinthe second end of the endotracheal tube is removably inserted into anaperture of the user's airway to provide the quantity of ventilation tothe selected one of a user's mouth and the user's airway.
 14. Amultiple-use airway mask utilized in combination with a tracheotomytube, comprising: a transparent flexible airway mask; an airway adaptorwith a first end, a second end and a hollow elongated shape, the airwayadaptor directs a quantity of ventilation to the transparent flexibleairway mask, the airway adaptor is permanently bonded to the transparentflexible airway mask, the first end of the airway adaptor extends insidethe transparent flexible airway mask and the second end of the airwayadaptor extends outside the transparent flexible airway mask, thetransparent flexible airway mask is turned inside-out exposing the firstend of the airway adaptor; a manual resuscitation bag valve thatreceives the second end of the airway adaptor, the manual resuscitationbag is permanently bonded to the second end of the airway adaptorforming a non-detachable one piece unit, the manual resuscitation bagvalve controls the quantity of ventilation directed to the transparentflexible airway mask; a manual resuscitation bag that is permanentlyattached to the manual resuscitation bag valve, the manual resuscitationbag produces the quantity of ventilation transmitted through the airwayadaptor that is permanently bonded to the transparent flexible airwaymask; and an optional attachment strap with a first end and a secondend, the optional attachment strap keeps the transparent flexible airwaymask attached to the manual resuscitation bag.
 15. The multiple-useairway mask according to claim 14, wherein the first end of the airwayadaptor has a 15 mm diameter and the second end of the airway adaptorhas a 22 mm diameter.
 16. The multiple-use airway mask according toclaim 14, wherein the manual resuscitation bag produces the quantity ofventilation by a selected one of a caregiver and a healthcare provider.17. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim 16, wherein themanual resuscitation bag is a selected one of permanently attached tothe manual resuscitation bag valve and releasably attached to the manualresuscitation bag valve.
 18. The multiple-use airway mask according toclaim 14, wherein the tracheotomy tube has a first end and a second end,the tracheotomy tube provides an artificial airway into an aperture of auser's airway.
 19. The multiple-use airway mask according to claim 18,wherein the first end of the tracheotomy tube is removably inserted intothe first end of the airway adaptor.
 20. The multiple-use airway maskaccording to claim 18, wherein the second end of the tracheotomy tube isremovably inserted into the aperture of the user's airway to provide thequantity of ventilation to the aperture of the user's airway.